One of Kenya’s most well-known tourist destinations, Lake Nakuru National Park is close to the town of Nakuru and is known for the vast number of flamingos that nest there. It is located in the rift valley region of Kenya, south of Nakuru. The 188 square kilometer park, which has a huge population of flamingos, giraffes, and both black and white rhinoceros, was established in 1961.
The lake that bears the park’s name, Lake Nakuru, with in the national park. The word “Nakuru” is a Masai word that means “Dust or Dusty Place”; the park initially covered a mountainous area before being expanded to include savannah grasslands.
The most spectacular feature of Lake Nakuru National Park is Lake Nakuru, a RAMSAR site that is a rift valley soda lake and the source of the park’s name. Lake Nakuru has a surface area of 45 square kilometers, which is a sizable portion of the park. It is home to a variety of animals and is the best place to see a variety of birds because of the lake’s constant influx of birds like lesser and greater flamingos.
MAKALIA FALLS
The Makalia Falls, a stunning sight on the Makalia River with a drop of 10 meters off a sheer cliff and forming a plunge pool, are located at the southernmost point of Lake Nakuru National Park.
Hills
There are several hills in the Lake Nakuru national park, including Enasoit, Honey Moon, Lion Hill, and others. These hills are the finest places to see the park and its features, such as wildlife.
BIRD LIFE
Over 500 different bird species live in the Lake Nakuru National Park, which is ranked as one of the top birding locations in Kenya. A wide diversity of birds, including endemic species that can only be found in Kenya, near-endemic species, threatened bird species, migratory bird species that travel to the park from November to April, and many others, make up the large bird population in Lake Nakuru National Park. Millions of larger and lesser pink flamingos throng Lake Nakuru and paint it with pink, white, and blue bands of color, making birds the main draw and the best highlight of Lake Nakuru National Park. The Abyssinian thrush, Arrow-marked babbler, Bateleur, and other bird species can be found in Lake Nakuru National Park in addition to larger and lesser flamingos. black-tailed godwit and many more
WILD MAMMALS
With the exception of elephants, the big animals of Kenya reside in Lake Nakuru National Park, which is home to over 56 different species of mammals. It is also one of the few places in Kenya that is known for having the highest concentration of endangered rhinos. The eastern black rhinoceros, southern white rhinos, Rothschild’s giraffe, waterbucks, lions, predators, cheetah, Burchell’s zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, hippopotamuses, hyena, and many more creatures may be found in Lake Nakuru National Park. The park is home to vervet monkeys, olive baboons, and black-and-white colobus monkeys in addition to animals.
ACCESSIBILTY
Lake Nakuru National Park is located in central Kenya, 150 kilometers north-west of Nairobi, in the province of the Rift Valley, accessing the park is relatively simple. You can choose to travel there by plane or by car. It is possible to go by road from Nairobi to Nakuru Town, a distance of 4 kilometers, and it is simple to link from places like the Masai Mara National Reserve to Lake Nakuru for a safari.
From Wilson Airport and Nairobi International Airport, charter flights are available that land at Naishi Airstrip.
BEST TIME TO VISIT LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK
Like other well-known tourist locations in Kenya, Lake Nakuru National Park draws visitors all year long. However, the best time to visit Lake Nakuru National Park is during the dry season, which lasts from June to March. the following months: January, February, March, October, November, December, and June, July, and August. Since there is little rain during these months, it is simple to spot animals as they swarm the lake in search of water.
Lake Nakuru national park is about 2 hours’ drive from Nairobi.
All year round